The present invention relates to data input systems, and more particularly, to a data input system including an improved computer mouse and mouse pad.
In computer user interfaces, pointing devices such as computer mouse are often used to enter movement information. For example, an optical mouse is commonly used as an input device to provide displacement information which is used to move a mouse pointer on a screen. Here, displacement means a measurement of distance moved from a starting position to an ending position. The optical mouse, however, does not provide position information. That is, using the current generation optical mouse, its position (within a mouse pad on which the optical mouse sits) is not available. Position information can be obtained if a graphic input tablet and its associated graphic input tablet pen are used as the input device; however, the graphic input tablet and pen system does not provide displacement information available from the mouse.
Further, the optical mouse does not provide orientation information. That is, using the current generation optical mouse, its orientation (direction that the mouse is pointing relative to the mouse pad grid) information is not available. Orientation information can be obtained if a joystick or a keypad is used as the input device; however, neither the joystick nor the keypad provides displacement information available from the mouse. For certain applications such as computer gaming and device control using an input device, it may be desirable for an input system to be able to provide positional, directional, and displacement information to a host computer.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an input system capable of providing positional, directional, and displacement information.